Deputy Mayor Melkorka Kjarval’s Monthly Reports
June 10th, 2024
Red Hook Together: Met on May 9th, at noon at the Red Hook High School Performing Arts Atrium. Various members of the Red Hook Central School District Administration presented their budget and ballot proposals. Conversation followed with multiple share outs, and there was extended discussion around then upcoming Apple Blossom Day 2024. As of this report, the next meeting is June 6th, 2024 at the Community center at Noon.
Red Hook Town Economic Development Committee: Bi-weekly meetings have been taking place at Village Hall on the second & fourth Wednesdays of the month at 8:40 am. I was unable to attend the May 22nd meeting due to travel.
Village of Red Hook Communications Committee: The Communications committee meets every first Wednesday of the month at 1:30 pm in the Village Hall conference room. This month’s meeting was dedicated to discussing the upcoming seasonal services update as well as analyzing if we can improve Village Hall’s main door signage when the automatic door hardware is updated. We discussed multiple ways we can improve the information that is provided at the main entrance to be more welcoming and functional.
We also are considering a series where we explain aspects of Village of Red Hook’s operations, rules or procedures that people may find confusing and/or confounding from a user's perspective. If you have any suggestions of topics that you think you would like to know the ‘why’ of - please reach out to the communications committee. Our committee’s mission is devoted to exploring ways that the Village can better communicate with constituents and our greater community in order to serve the public. I also extend that invitation to fellow trustees, as well as the various departments they work with - if there is a point of communication that you feel could be improved or clarified - we are happy to receive topic suggestions.
Village of Red Hook Hardscrabble / Events Committee: The events committee meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6pm at Village Hall. May 31’st Neighbors Night was our most attended event yet. A big thank you to the Highway Department for clearing the lot and setting up the tent and tables for our event. We also appreciate all the committee members and volunteers who helped to make the event possible. Our next and final Neighbors night of the year will be on September 13th, the night before Hardscrabble day.
The committee's May 14th meeting was spent finalizing details for May’s Neighbor’s night as well as discussing morning & afternoon entertainment for Hardscrabble. Sponsorship packets are available on the Hardscrabbleday.org. Please stay tuned for more details regarding the
lineup and the day of activities, once those become finalized. The Hardscrabble Music Festival will be on September 14th this year (14-24) - and you can follow Social Media for updates at (facebook.com/hardscrabblerh & instagram.com/villageofrhevents/). Note the June 11th’s meeting will not be held due to scheduling conflicts, the next public meeting will be July 9th.
Village of Red Hook Human Relations Committee: The Human Relations Committee meets every first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm in the Village Hall conference room. The committee met on May 8th and discussed next steps on the Indigenous History project. We discussed a possible timeline that would allow us to present any proposed project to the Village Board. It was decided a committee member would reach out to a local historian Bill Jeffway who collaborated with the Village in 2021 on the “You are here!” exhibit about the history of the four corners in the Village. Jeffway recommended to that committee member The that they reach out to another local historian who had more specific expertise.
committee's next meeting will have taken place on June 6th, at 7pm in the Village Hall and I will include any updates from that meeting in next month's report.
Village of Red Hook Highway Department:
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Street Striping is slated to begin as soon.
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Hydrant Flushing is scheduled to take place mid to late June. Fire hydrant flushing is performed to remove any sediment or stagnant water from the distribution system and to test fire hydrant operation. You may experience temporary water discoloration or a pressure drop. This is a normal and expected occurrence. If you notice any discoloration, your water is safe to drink but we recommend that you run it for a few minutes until the water is clear.
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Village Brush / Yard Waste Pickup - Pickups are scheduled for the first full week of every month, pending weather conditions and scheduling. Residents are reminded of the following rules:
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Avoid creating long-term piles, place piles out just prior to pick-up week.
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Lawn clippings and brush should be set out in separate piles.
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Place piles on the edge of your lawn (not on the sidewalk or in the street).
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The Pile should not include: Construction debris, garbage, stumps, and/or branches larger than 6” in diameter.
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Piles should be limited to 6' x 6' x 6'.
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Consider combining smaller piles with a neighbor to facilitate efficient pickups.
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Trash & Recycling Pickup -
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Please put your trash & recycling out before 5am on Monday mornings.
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Cardboard bundles should be bound together with string or tape. Paper recycling should be placed in a lidded container.
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Potholes: You can notify the village of potholes on Village roads by calling the Village Clerk’s office or filling out the “Report a Concern” form at: redhookvillage.org/concern. Please note that the Village is not allowed to conduct repairs on State Highways. If you would like to report a pothole on a State Highway, The Village can forward your concern - or you can submit your complaint directly to the NYS DOT by calling 1.800.POTHOLE (1.800.768.4653).
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Street Light Complaints: If you notice a street light out - you may notify Central Hudson directly by going to: cenhud.com/en/outages, selecting ‘Report a Street Light’ and filling out their online form.
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Scrap Metal Program:
Revenue received since the last report (on 05/29/24) was $568.00 Total revenue for this Fiscal Year (Jun 2023- May 2024) to date is $6,984.70
Since the Program’s inception, in Sep 2007, donations have yielded a total of $54,862.84 Our estimated budget for Scrap metal Revenue (A2650) this year was $5,700 = which means the Village received $984.70 more than we expected in Scrap metal revenue for our past budget year. Proceeds from the program go towards the purchase of tools & equipment for the Public Works Department. Residents & businesses interested in donating scrap metal may contact the Village Clerk’s office to schedule a pickup.